RALEIGH, N.C. — Beginning Saturday, every phone carrier in every state must have a new number set up to provide mental health assistance.  

Dialing "988" will connect people with immediate help.

While hotlines have existed for a long time, advocates have pushed for having a shorter number that’s easy for people to remember. 

“Today, people can reach the national suicide prevention hotline by dialing 1-800-273-TALK. But as you might imagine, if you are in a mental health crisis and you really need help, that is hard to remember," said Deepa Avula, director of the North Carolina Division of Mental Health.

Avula says a report given to Gov. Roy Cooper shows North Carolina ranks in the top three of the entire country when it comes to readiness for this rollout.

Avula says the call volume is expected to increase about 30% with this new rollout, but she believes North Carolina is ready to respond.

“We have exponentially higher success rates in answering those calls locally, so I feel 100% confident that we are ready," Avula said.

The hope is this line will help either an individual or a family member who is in need of immediate crisis. 

“What happens now often is individuals call 911 and our law enforcement teams really try the best they can, they do a great job of trying to respond to these crises, but really, law enforcement is not the place for people to turn. An individual can get help immediately from a trained crisis counselor," Avula said.